


Freedom's Wings

by PandoraButler



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Emotional Rollercoaster, F/F, Grab your tissues, Innocent Eren, M/M, almost roommates, grumpy gills levi, wing fic au, wingssssss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-17 18:31:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14836973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandoraButler/pseuds/PandoraButler
Summary: In a world where everyone has wings, what makes yours so special? Well, nothing, nothing at all. Except when you have two different colors...One white. One blue. Ridiculed for his differences. Ostracized for his uniqueness. Levi struggles to live day-to-day. When you build up your walls, who is going to tear them down?





	1. Self-Rule

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [ALTIVOLUS](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5988376) by Anonymous. 



Everyone has wings. She has wings. He has wings. They have wings. It has wings. There isn't anything special about it. Wings come in different sizes, colors, shapes, anything is possible. And yet, for some strange reason, having two different colored wings makes Levi stand out. He couldn't tell you why this was the case, but it was. People like power. People empower themselves by picking on what they thing is 'the weak.' Having two different colored wings by no means makes Levi 'weak' in any sense of the word. He may be slightly shorter than average. He may have two different colored wings. He may have a straight face that looks like he is always glaring. But none of these things make him  _weak_. 

Which just so happens to be the conclusion most people jump to when they see him.

And that certainly was the case now.

Levi found himself backed into a corner, quite literally and figuratively. On one side there was a very non-binary looking individual with goggles and hair brushed back into a ponytail. On the other side was a blonde male with bushy eye-brows. In front of him were two individuals. One had V-shaped bangs and the other medium length red hair. 

"We want you to join The Basement," bushy brows said.

"Ain't happening," Levi replied. He'd been asked this before and he refused before. He had no idea what this little clique of idiots wanted with him but he wasn't about to accept anything so easily. Fight well for what you damn believe in or Levi ain't even going to  _glance_  in your direction.

"Aw, don't say that, you've got nothing better to do," goggles spoke.

"I have millions of things that I'd rather be doing than standing here, in a dark alley, surrounded by you lot," Levi crossed his arms and tapped his foot. He had places to be. He had things to do. "If you can't give me a good reason why I should  _think_  about joining you in the next five seconds, I'm leaving."

"How are you going to leave? We have you surrounded," V-bangs scoffed. 

"One," Levi began counting on his fingers. No one was saying anything worth listening to. He hated it when people just  _assumed_  he couldn't do anything. Since when did having two different colored wings somehow mean he wasn't a human anymore? Idiots. His wings had nothing to do with how strong or not strong he was. 

"We aren't here to make fun of you, we just find you valuable and want you on the team," bushy brows attempted to explain. Levi wanted nothing to do with this. Time was running out and he was losing patience. 

"Two."

"Wait, wait, wait," goggles tried to convince him now, "we really don't have anything against you. We just want your help." Those words fell on deaf ears. Levi could tell by the way they were looking at his wings that there was way  _too_  much interest in them. 

"Three," Levi continued counting. He could tell that the people surrounding him were stressed. They wanted him for some unknown reason and they were absolutely  _failing_  to recruit him. Must suck to suck.

"Four."

"Listen undercut," the redhead took a step forward and poked Levi in the chest, "we really aren't trying to push your buttons but you're really pushing mine now. The  _least_  you can do is hear us out," she frowned. If there was one thing Levi hated more than anything else, it was being touched. That's it. No more chances. He was leaving.

"Five," Levi said. He moved his wings in such a fashion that all four individuals were knocked off their feet by a gust of wind. With the satisfactory distraction, Levi ran for it. He was fast. Too fast. The four strangers were left behind without the reflexes to follow. It was a failed mission on their part. Levi couldn't be any more satisfied. At least that was over.

He walked down the street ignoring the stares and the comments. This was his normal everyday life. People couldn't help but stare at the unusual. Levi wondered if he should've taken up a life in the circus. But, the last time he went to the circus a tiger decided some guy's head looked like a tasty snack. He wasn't about that life.

When Levi reached his apartment complex he noticed a mover's van. That's bad news. He'd spent the last 2 years without a neighbor. He wasn't going to enjoy getting one now. Levi ran to his apartment's door and, sure enough, he was getting a new one. A male stood with a box in his hands staring at the door and attempting to open it. He noticed Levi standing there and his eyes pleaded for help. For the first time in Levi's life a person wasn't staring at his wings or giving him strange looks. This stranger was just simply asking for assistance. 

It must be the apocalypse. 

Levi walked over and grabbed the box so that his new neighbor could open his door. The stranger smiled and rushed to find his keys. Why didn't he just put the damn box down? Was it really necessary to ask for help? People these days don't use their brain. 

The stranger grabbed the box again and walked inside his apartment. Levi was fully prepared to leave him be but the male smiled. He wasn't going to say that this smile made his heart flutter or anything stupid like that, but it's totally possible that it happened. 

"Do you need help moving in?" Levi was shocked with himself for asking such a thing. He wasn't the kind of person to help strangers without anything in return. He was more of a 'go-fuck-yourself-and-leave-me-alone' kind of guy.

"Yes! You're a life saver! There are so many boxes for one person to carry all on his own! Thank you!" the stranger smiled a brilliant grin and Levi was left dumbstruck. He didn't just offer to give him his kidney, why was this guy so thankful? There needed to be more people like him in the world. Purely innocent smol beans.

Levi awkwardly followed the stranger outside. He hadn't noticed the brilliance of his wings before. They were a beautiful shade of green that perfectly matched his eyes. They seemed to change when the sunlight hit them, almost like the waves of the sea glimmering. Levi hadn't paid attention to things like this before. He never felt the need. But there was definitely something magical about these wings. 

Box by box, Levi was so entranced by the wings that he wasn't quite sure what he was doing. He felt like a mindless drone just carrying boxes. Was this a spell? Was he actually under some sort of curse? Maybe he had finally lost his mind. Before he knew it the boxes were all inside his new neighbor's apartment and he was left alone in his own apartment pondering the whole experience. 

"What the hell was  _that_?" he asked his furniture. 


	2. Right

There was a punch to his face and glares all around. Levi spat and wiped away the blood from his mouth. He didn't loose a tooth, luckily, but that would be the least of his worries. He was surrounded. People liked to gang up on him for some reason. Damn bastards. They better not be from The Basement or Levi would seriously lose his shit. What did those people want from him anyway?

"Why don't we pluck those feathers of yours?" one male snickered, "then at least you'll have one single wing worth being proud of rather than two disgraces."

"The only disgrace here is your ugly mug," Levi glared. "Your mother must've wanted to put you back in after you came out. I apologize for your misfortune," he smirked at the reaction his words got him. However, that just earned Levi another punch to the face. Levi fought back with a kick to the crotch. The guy winced and let out a little squeal. Serves him right. That'll teach you to underestimate Levi.

"The fuck was that?" one of his lackeys laughed at the noise he made. What goes around comes around, as they say.

"You try getting kicked in the crotch and see what kind of noises  _you_  make," he replied with a glare. The two began to fight amongst each other so Levi took this as his cue to leave. His mouth was still bleeding a bit but he didn't bother with it. He just wanted to go home and take a nice long nap. Why did he have to have a confrontation every time he left his damn apartment? Maybe he should start ordering bundles of food online so that he wouldn't have to leave the comforts of his bed. That was a thing, right? In any case, he was glad this was one of the more easily solved interactions. A bleeding mouth was but a scratch compared to a couple of broken ribs or a stab wound.

Levi wasn't expecting his new neighbor to be waiting for him when he arrived. The guy was pacing in front of the door to Levi's apartment. He looked like he was trying to build up the courage to knock but was miserably failing. Levi cleared his throat before asking, "Did you need something?" The stranger nearly jumped out of his skin and laughed albeit nervously. What a dork.

"I'm sorry, I swear I'm not a stalker," he began, "I just wanted to thank you for helping me out yesterday. Do you have a favorite kind of pie? I'd like to show my appreciation in some way."

Levi stared. He wasn't sure what kind of dream he was having but he really wanted to wake up. People don't pace outside other people's doors to ask them what kind of  _pie_  they like. Levi decided to ignore the strangeness of it all and just answer the question. Well, he  _was_  going to answer the question but the guy's face went pale.

"You're bleeding!" he gasped. The stranger took a few steps close,  _too_  close as a matter of fact, and examined Levi's mouth. There was a small cut, apparently, and his new neighbor grabbed his hand and dragged him into his apartment. He forced Levi to sit down while he went to get a first aid kit or something like that. Levi was a little too shocked to keep up with what was going on. This was the second time he felt utterly lost around this guy. He shouldn't have brought attention to himself. He should've just walked right by the dude and headed straight for his own apartment. Levi didn't exactly like being rude but it was preferable to having a stranger worry about a measly cut.

Levi looked around the apartment. It didn't take long for the guy to completely unpack all of his stuff. It was a fairly simple set up with just the necessities and a couple of posters here and there. Regardless of how plain it was, it felt like a home. The guy had been here for a total of maybe 24 hours but he'd already become attached to this place. That was something Levi had never known. People came and people left. It was the same for the places he'd lived. However, he'd stayed living here for the longest period of time so far. 

The stranger returned with a rag and some disinfectant. It would be weird to put a band-aid on someone's lip so he decided against that. He looked extremely concerned for someone he barely knew. Levi was amazed to know that people like this still existed in the world. The rag stung on his lip but Levi didn't flinch. He just wished this interaction would be over. He owed no explanations to this guy and desperately hoped he didn't ask any questions.

"Are you okay?" the new neighbor asked. Levi just nodded in response. "Are you sure? Are you hurt anywhere else?" What was he? A mother? Levi wondered what it was like to have a mother for a brief moment. From the moment he was born he was cast aside. Two different colored wings might as well have been a mark from Satan himself because that is just how people looked at him, including his parents.

"Apple," Levi answered.

"Apple?" 

"I like apple pie," he stood up and started making his way to his own apartment. 

"Wait!" Levi turned to face the stranger since he'd called him but the guy looked confused about what he wanted to say. "I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm sorry, I forget about the small things," his wings twitched and he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "My name is Eren."

"Levi," he answered and walked out. After opening the door to his apartment he immediately closed it. Levi leaned up against the door and slid to the ground. He placed a hand over his mouth and felt his cheeks warm up just a bit. Not that he'd ever admit this.

"What the fuck was  _that_?" he asked his unresponsive furniture. Why was his new neighbor the cutest being in existence? It didn't make any sense. There was a limit to how pure a person could be and Eren had far surpassed those limits. Levi cursed and stood up. His bed was calling him for a long overdue nap. He needed to sleep. Maybe when he woke up he'd realize that his neighbor was actually just a figment of his imagination and he'd never have to worry about them again. Although, he really wanted that apple pie.


	3. Release

Levi stood at the edge of the bridge staring at the water. This wasn't the first time he'd done this and it certainly wasn't the last. He'd gotten in trouble for it a few times but the police eventually just gave up on him. He gripped the fence that was behind him tightly and stared at the endless river flowing beneath him. He could feel the wind about to blow him away. This was the closest to freedom that he'd ever come. 

He fell forward and wrapped his wings around him. He fell quickly in a fast spiral. The air, the adrenaline, he'd never get enough of it. The speed was exhilarating. And then, just as the water was nearly too close for comfort, he outstretched his wings and he  _flew_. He flew closer to the waves then he'd ever been before. He was getting better with the timing of falling. Levi smiled and brushed his wings with the water of the river. The top layer was warm but it only masked the cold underneath. Levi loved the water. It was always changing it's shape and hiding the truth of reality within it's many layers. The parts of the river flowing now would never reach this part of the river again. Water didn't stay still. It was a constant chaos of ever-changing beauty. He loved it. He wanted to be it.

The sun was setting and the sky changed its colors. The water reflected it perfectly and Levi took it all in. This wasn't the first time he would do this and it certainly wasn't the last. There was something magical about flying that he couldn't explain in words. Only  _feelings_. How does one explain colors to a blind person? It's impossible. Some things must be  _experienced_.

"Hey!" a voice called out next to him. Levi didn't bother looking, he just built up momentum and flew faster. He wasn't going to have a conversation today. He wasn't in the mood for it. 

"Wait! Please!" the individual flew faster too in order to catch up. Levi clenched his teeth and noticed from the corner of his eye that the two had met before. It was the goggles freak from a few days ago. Equal opportunity annoying. 

"Nobody else is here with me! I just want to talk to you for a second! I think we got off on the wrong foot. Please? I can't keep flying like this. Are you some sort of stamina machine?" the stranger was panting heavily. Heh, serves them right. Levi landed on a sandbar. The tide was rather low so a shallow part of the river was above water. The stranger landed and placed their hands on their knees. It took them a while to catch their breath.

"My name is Hanji," they began, "I'm not here with The Basement right now or anything I just want to apologize."

"For?" Levi crossed his arms and continued to look at the sunset. He didn't care what this person wanted, he just want to leave and be done with it. He wasn't joining The Basement any time soon, or ever. That gang, organization, or whatever they went by was bad news. He'd heard all the rumors about their wing experimentation and he wasn't about to assist with that kind of crap. 

"First of all," Hanji stood up straight and smiled, "I wasn't looking at your wings because they were funny or anything. I was just admiring them. They're truly unique," Hanji let out a strange chuckle and began to drool. Levi was certain he didn't want to know the extent of this person's mental problems, but they were definitely there. 

"I'm a wing scientist. I've always studied them. I'm sorry if I seem a bit strange but wings are wings and yours are by far the most interesting that I've seen before. Well,  _second_  most interesting. There was this one tim-" Hanji closed their mouth and let out a sigh, "I'm sorry. I ramble. I just really want us to be on good terms. I'm here by myself. There isn't anyone else surrounding you this time. Can we start over? We had a pretty bad first meeting."

"No, I'm not interested in whatever you have to say, goggles freak," Levi answered. He didn't care what Hanji's motivations were. They were still trying to use him in some way or another. Hanji was just like everyone else, but with a few more screws loose.

"Please?" they begged, "I really want for us to start again! I won't tell anyone about this! Pretty please with a cherry on top? Give me your number or something. We don't have to meet in person if you don't want to. I'll try my very best to limit my wing questions. I'll pay you if I have to! Also, they aren't goggles, they're specially designed  _glasses_ ," Hanji was determined to become acquainted with Levi. They didn't care how much work they had to put into this relationship to make it happen.

"Why should I?" Levi asked. Hanji avoided eye contact and looked at their hands. They sighed and reached behind their back. A sharp cracking noise was made and the wings that were supposedly theirs fell off. 

"I'm wingless," Hanji began, "I don't know what it's like to have real wings that I can fly with so I have an obsession for the thing I've been longing for my whole life. I thought we could relate to each other considering we both have been cast aside by society, in a sense. I'm just looking for a friend, really, I don't want anything else."

Levi clenched his teeth and turned towards Hanji, "I'm not a pity project," he spat.

"No, that's not what I meant," Hanji knelt down to pick up their wings and place them back on their back. Although, it was quite troublesome since the machinery didn't want to work. They were due for an upgrade, to say the least. "I know it's hard to trust people but I hope that one day we can be friends," Hanji smiled and walked towards Levi to place a note in his hands. They carefully attempted to fly. Levi watched, completely bewildered. He didn't know how the machinery worked but the wings didn't look fake in the slightest. 

"I hope to see you around, Levi," Hanji waved and flew off. Levi flinched. He didn't remember introducing himself so that must mean The Basement had looked him up in the system. Damn it. He had no choice but to befriend someone in The Basement if he wanted to avoid them completely. Levi clenched his fist and frowned. He was playing right into their hands and he didn't even know what they wanted with him. Levi looked at the note, it was a phone number, he quickly made a contact for Hanji in his phone and flew off. Maybe the goggles freak wouldn't be so bad, but it would take a while for him to commit to trying to befriend them...


End file.
